Clamp for use in trimming boot and shoe heels



'L, A. TRULL.

CLAMP FOR USE IN TRHI'HVHIJG BOOT MID SHOE HEELS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-2| 19w.

1,336,602,, Patenss Apzr. 19200 I f" 02W m a: V/

- figweziai'orfl UNITED STATES PATENT onmc LYMAN A. TRUELL, OF BBOCKTON,MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO OSCAR HEATH, OF BROOKTON,MASSACHUSETTS.

CLAMP FOR USE IN TRIMMING BOOT AND SHOE HEELS.

Application filed December 2. 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LYMAN A. TRULL, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Brockton, Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement inClamps for Use in Trimming Boot and Shoe Heels, of which the followingdescription, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is aspecification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My present invention relates to the trimming of boot and shoe heels,separately from the boot or shoe, to which they are subsequentlyattached, and more particularly to a novel type of clamping device foruse in holding and trimming such heels.

Heretofore it has been the custom to trim, finish, bufi", and polish theheels for boots and shoes after such heels have been attached to theshoe and the shoe thus provided a convenient means of holding the heelin proper position against the heel trimming or bufiing machines. Suchprior usage has been the most convenient method, in the manufacture ofboots and shoes in large shoe factories, but my present inven tioncontemplates the provision of a clamping device which will enable theboot or shoe heel to be trimmed, buffed, polished, or finished before itis attached to a shoe. I believe that it is a distinct novelty in theart of shoe manufacturing and particularly in the art of trimming andpolishing boot and shoe heels, to provide means which will hold the heelindividually and separately and before attachment to a shoe and thuspermitting an individual heel to be sub jected to the cutting,re-rounding, trimming, randing, inking, waxing, and polishin goperations. I therefore provide a novel, efiicient, strong. andeconomical heel engaging clamp with provision for quickly adiusting thesame for heels of different heights and styles and I prefer to form theclamping apparatus with the heel clamping portions substantially in theform of contour, style, and alinement with the type of heels to be usedtherein, 2'. 6., as mens, womens, childrens, etc. This latter feature isdesirable because the workmen in boot and shoe factories are accustomedto trim the heel in accordance with the contour of the shoe to which itis attached and accordingly in my present apparatus I pre- Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 6, 1920.

Serial No. 264,937.

fer to form the heel portions of the clamp of similar contour forconvenience and aid of the workman in trimming the heel. Furthermoremany of the heel operating machines depend upon the heel portion of theshoe for guiding and to assist the eye of the workman in following thestyle.

Referring to the drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment-- Figure 1is a side view of my novel heel clamp showing a heel in position;

Fig. 2 is a rear end view;

Fig. 3 is a plan view; and

Fig. i is a fragmentary detail view of a part of the clamp for engaginga top lift.

As shown in the drawings, I provide a form 1 preferably of wood andresembling in a somewhat general manner a shoe last having a top or cone2, forepart 8 and heel seat 4. On the cone 2, I provide a plate 5 whichis perforated to receive the shank 6 of the movable part of the heelclamp and on the heel seat 4 is a plate 8 having a plurality of prongs9, 9, 9, to temporarily secure a heel blank 10 in position. The shank 6is provided on its lower portion with a flange 11 having a plurality ofprongs 12. 12, 12, said flange and prongs being adapted to support andengage the top lift of the heel blank and force the same firmly againstthe heel plate 8 on the form 1.

To operate the shank 6 and clamping plate 11 I provide a camlike member15, preferably formed with two arms 16 and 17 (see Fig. 2) spaced anappropriate distance to span the shank 6 of the clamp, in which arms areeccentric bearings 18 and 19 respectively to receive the pin 20 passingthrough said bearings and through a corresponding recess in the shank 6.Rotation of the eccentrics 18 and 19 through engagement by a spanner orother device in the recesses 21 serves to adjust the extent of moving orthrow of the shank 6 and consequently thus adjust the distance betweenthe flange 11 and heel plate 8 and therefore provide for heels 10 ofdifferent heights. The shank 6 is also set sufficiently forward in theform 1 through the bored recess therein to allow for a considerablerange of sizes, the heels always being positioned on the form with theextreme rear of the rand crease substantially in alinement with the heelportion 22 of the form 1.

To operate the clamp 15 and therefore to move the rod 6 vertically, forclamping or unclamping, the heel blank, I provide a' handle 25, whichrotates the cam 15, the cam faces thereof and of the arms 16 and 17swinging on the top plate 5 at either side of the recess therethrough inwhich the rod 6 passes. In fact, I prefer to have this recess throughthe form 1 and plate 5 conside ably larger than the diameter of the rod6, as indicated at 2%, to thus allow for a considerable freedom or rangeof -movement to enable the clamp plate '11 to draw firmly upon the heelblank when the cam 15 is moved into clamping position with the handle 25clownwardly. Instant release of thisclamp action is obtained when movingthe handle upwardly, as will be appreciated.

The operation of my heel clamping ap paratus will be readily understoodand ap preciated. The eccentrics 18and 19 being adjusted for appropriateheight of the clamp, the heel blank 10 is positioned against the heelplate 8 and the same clamped in position by the throw of the handle 25dmvnwardly, the prongs 9, 9, 9, and 12, 12, 12, thus holding the heel,in ad dition to the pressure and tension exerted by the clamp. Theoperator then applies the form 1 and heel blank to a trimming machine,randing machine, burnishing, buffing, or other machines, intended tooperate on or finish'the surface ofthe heel, guiding and-manipulatingthe form in substantially the same manner as would be done with the'heelattached to a finished shoe,'th e fore abling the heel to be thusquickly and efficiently trimmed and finished and then attached to'theshoe. Furthermore it is feasible to thus trim a large number ofheels forshoe factory use, as well as to operate on heels which would otherwisebe extremely diflicult to handle,-such-as Louis heels, or

thopedio heels, and-many such-special types.

My present invention is further described and defined in the form ofclaim as follows:

A heel clam-ping apparatus of the kind described, comprising a formsubstantially in the contour of a shoe last, a heel plate thereonadapted to detachably receive and hold a heel blank, a movable plate toengage and holdthe top lift of a heel blank, a rod secured-to themovable plate and extending through a recess in'the form and'acam toreciprocate said rod,'h'aving a pair of arms spanning said rod and anecc entric'mou'nting for the rod in each arm, together with a handle tooperate said eam.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LYMAN A. TRULL.

lVitnesses RACHAEL G. Lnsmn, Geo. H. MAXWELL.

